Swift as a Bally Hare: Book one 'The Fire Sword'
by Drakon Lass
Summary: The first book in Swift as a Bally Hare! Yeeess! Finally. Please R&R.


  
General Rasquer stood on a little ledge, looking across at the sea. It looked so calm. The waves washed up on the shore bringing white foam. Rasquer sighed. He knew that even the most peaceful sea could turn. "Wot is jolly well wrong, gen'ral?" Rasquer looked behind him at a grey-white hare with a dark blue tunic. It was Ferlon Cloudbillow. Most just called him Cloudy because his fur was the color of a cloud. Cloudy was a Long Patrol galloper. He was what you might call reckless, but that didn't make him an any less bad galloper! There was the occasional knocking into a tree, but nothing serious. He was one of the quickest in the Long Patrol at that time. Cloudy looked at inquiringly at Rasquer, "Well?" Rasquer sighed again. "Somethin' bad's come'n our way. I kin feel it in mah bally ole whiskers." Cloudy winked at Rasquer. "Can't go doubt'n yore jolly whiskers there, wot?" Rasquer looked gravely at Cloudy, "I really mean it, chap." Cloudy chided Rasquer, "Oh come on, grimface, buck up! 'Tain't a bally sight o' any vermin chaps! Come into the mountain an' 'ave some stew with us. Leekroot stew!" Rasquer turned heel on Cloudy. "No thanks, me lad, but I think hI'll stay out 'ere fer a while." Cloudy gave a confused look at Rasquer. "Turn'n down tucker, wot? May'ap thar is some'n wrong." Cloudy looked out at the sea and then loped off into Salamandastron. "Hope t' see you eat'n tucker like a good 'are soon!" He called over his shoulder. Rasquer looked at the sea, the pounding waves, the frothy foam. He turned his head away. No use in worrying about something that hasn't happened yet. "May as well get some scoff..." He muttered to himself.  
  
Rasquer sat himself down at the table, close to the Badger Lord's seat. The Badger Lord wasn't in the best of moods. He decided to stay in Lord Brocktree's tomb and read its walls. Cloudy smiled at Rasquer, "'Cided t' come f' some tucker, wot, wot?" Rasquer managed a small grin. A light orange furred hare looked over at the general and gave him a crooked grin. The hare had charming steel blue eyes. His name was Gist Surfbreaker. He was always joking around, but was a sharp fighter when needed. Gist had a violent life when he was a leveret and they think that is why he is always joking. Gist went and spooned out some leekroot soup into a bowl. He hopped over to General Rasquer and set the bowl in front of him. "Jolly well better eat up that bally soup afore it get cold, wot?" Rasquer nodded his head gratefully "Thank 'e, Gist." Gist smiled disarmingly and loped slowly to his place. Rasquer, Gist, Cloudy, and the other hares started scoffing the soup. Gist called over to the cook, "Good show, wot? Best soup I ever bally well tasted!" The hare cook puffed his chest out. The Badger Lord suddenly stormed in. All the hares could tell he was still in a bad temperament. The Badger Lord sat down gruffly at the table and started eating at a piece of bread. "Wot's wrong?" Rasquer questioned. The Badger Lord replied solemnly, "The one with the fire sword is coming."  
  
"Fire sword??" Cloudy cocked his head. "Wot is a fire sword?" The Raya the Badger Lord shook his head. "I'm not sure. But we'll find out soon enough." Raya finished off his soup and bread hastily. He then got up silently and went to the forgery. Gist gave another crooked grin and spoke up, "Seemed a little gloomy, 'e did. Maybe we should ask 'im if we ought to go patrol a bit, wot, wot?" Rasquer nodded. "I think we must be careful, though. Ye never know how th' Lord'll react when 'e's in this temper, doncha know." A lanky hare came galloping into the hall. She was a deep tan hare with dark green eyes. "Whooho! Going on a jolly patrol. Not without me!" Rasquer grinned "Of course not, Nyl, you bally 'are." Nyl smiled triumphantly.   
  
Rasquer walked along the shore with three hares behind him. The Badger Lord thought it would be a good idea to patrol the shores. Nyl declared, "I kin beat anyone o' you here! I kin beat the bally lot o' you at a race, wot?" Gist grinned knavishly at Nyl. "I kin beat ye, ma'm!" Nyl grinned back, "Oh yeah?" "Yeah!" Gist challenged. Cloudy jumped up to the two. Cloudy announced "I kin beat all o' ye! With one paw be'ind me back!" Nyl boasted "I kin out race th' bally wind! NYYLLLLL!!! I kin beat th' wind!!!!" At that the three hares were off.  
  
Rasquer shouted as he tried to catch up to the racing hares, "Wait up, I say! Wait up!!" Rasquer ran as fast as he could. He soon ran out of breath. Nyl let out a holler, "Whooohhhooo!!! I'm thrash'n ye all at this, wot?" Cloudy came close up behind Nyl. "Not f' long!" Nyl put on a burst of speed and went far ahead of Cloudy. "Whhoohoo!!!" Gist caught up with Cloudy. "I say, she's a quick 'un, wot?" Cloudy slowed up and nodded. "Shore is." Rasquer shouted "EUULLAALLIIAA!!! Come back here!" Nyl stopped in her tracks and swiftly ran back to Rasquer. Cloudy and Gist whirled around and raced back to Rasquer. "Here we stand, wot?"   
  
The hares patrolled around the shores. Most of the time pushing each other into the waves. Nyl got up and brushed sand of her fur after being pushed down by Gist. "How about we build a bally sand castle?" Nyl suggested. Rasquer looked at Nyl. "We're here on jolly ole' patrol, you know." Nyl waved her paw in the air. "Patrol, wot? We still 'ave time t' build a jolly sand castle while look'n out." Rasquer sighed. "Guess yore right." Cloudy brushed sand off his white fur and nodded "That'd be absoballylutely spiff'n!" The four hares got down on their knees and started piling up sand. Gist stood up and started to direct "Cloudy, that bally well won't do! You need wet sand to make it stick! Good show Nyl! Great form!" Nyl stuck seashells in with her sand to make it hold better. Rasquer got up and looked around. The sand castle was going fine. Rasquer went over to the water. "I say Rasquer! Come over here and 'elp with th' bally castle!" Gist shouted to Rasquer. "Why don't you?" Gist blushed a deep red. "Oh, of course, sah." Gist got down on the sand again and started using Nyl's technique of building. "Jolly good technique, Nyl." Nyl flashed Gist an embarrassed smile. "'Tis easy.. Anybeast could've figured it out, wot?" Gist smiled back. "I wonder wot th' fire thingymugummy the ol' Badger was a talk'n 'bout." Nyl shrugged, "One o' those things only th' Badger Lords know, most certainly, wot."   
  
Rasquer felt the sea winds rustling through his fur and had the same uncomfortable feeling. A glitter flashed somewhere far away on the shore. Rasquer looked that way. He blinked and looked again. "Wonder wot that 'tis..." Something, somebeast, was coming. The flash of a sword.  
  
Far away along the shore a ferret grinned evilly. He was the sword bearer. The fire sword. An army followed close behind him. He halted the army and climbed up on a huge rock. "I am the sword bearer!!" He roared. He flashed the sword around. Blue flames danced an the blade. A few of the beasts following him recoiled farther back away from the ferret. "All beasts fear me! Fire obeys me! I AM THE SWORD BEARER!!!" The ferret bellowed. All the army echoed "YOU ARE THE SWORD BEARER!!!"   
  
Rasquer walked over to the three hares bickering about the sand castle. "We ought to name it Hare Fort!" "No, no, me chap! 'Ow's Salamandastron's Fortress?" Rasquer spoke over the arguing. "I think I just saw a sword flash." Gist was startled by Rasquer and fell back into the sand castle. Cloudy scolded Gist. "Look wot ye did! Bad form! Knocking into a wondrous sand castle!" Gist looked indignantly at Cloudy. "A wondrous castle no thanks t' you! Sit'n there shoveling dry sand on it, wot?!" Rasquer spoke up again. "I think we should go investigate, wot?" Nyl stood up. "Oh, yes! We'll get those bally vermin lads!" Cloudy got up as well "Top hole! Capital idea." Gist shook himself free of sand. "Absoballylutly fine with me!"   
  
The ferret grinned wickedly again as he jumped off the rock. He was the sword bearer. He flashed the sword around as the flames jumped around on it. The army followed slowly behind him again. He was Flashblade the FlameSword. The most evil ferret to roam Mossflower, as he said. His eyes were black as a moonless night. Tonight the moon was waning. Almost gone.   
  
Rasquer snuck quietly towards where the flash was. The three other hares followed him as quietly as possible. They traveled for most of the day. It was dark after a while and the hares had a hard time seeing. Cloudy sniffed. "I think you're just a see'n thangs, wot?" Rasquer shook his head. "No, it was there, chap. It was..."  
  
Flashblade twirled his sword and the flames leapt off. A fire was creating shadows that danced along the waves and sands. Flashblade's paws were black, due to the fire always scorching them. It bothered him no more, though. Flashblade called over to one of his captains. "Biggtooth, come here!" Biggtooth came over to Flashblade as quickly as he could. "Yes sir!" Biggtooth saluted. "I want you to go scout around. This is where that mountain is. I most despise hares." Flashblade groaned just thinking about hares. "They are so... annoying!" Biggtooth nodded "Will do." He replied.  
  
Rasquer heard noises "I bally well think this is who or what we're look'n fer, wot!" Cloudy nodded. Nyl watched the ferret talking to his captain. "Calling us bally 'ares annoy'n! Bad form! Wot a wheeze!" Gist looked at the vermin. "Look at that jolly blade! It 'as fire flashing from et!" Rasquer ducked behind a rock. Gist looked at them all. "Wot are we wait'n fer?" Gist jumped out from behind the rock. Nyl tried to grab hold of Gist's bob tail. "EEUULLLAALLLIIIAA!!!" Nyl jumped out too. "EUULALIIAAAA! Blood an' vinegar!!!" Rasquer took a deep breath and jumped out as well. "'TIS DEATH ON TH' WIND!!!!" Cloudy hopped up on the rock. "EVIL VERMIN CHAPS BEWARE!!! 'CAUSE I'M A BALLY HARE!!!" Nyl flashed a smile. "Nice lil' rhyme there, wot!" Gist's steel blue eyes sparkled with excitement. His sabre slashed in and out of vermin. Flashblade wasn't ready for the ambush and he shouted out in panic. "ATTACK! ATTACK THEM, YOU FOOLS!! GET YORE FAT IDLE CARCASSES OFF TH' GROUND!! CHARGE!!" Gist fought with all his might. Vermin were surrounding him and almost forcing him into the fire. Gist fought on strongly. He finally got out of the way of the fire. He stumbled backwards and slashed in every way possible. Maybe even some ways you wouldn't think possible. He swept through the army like a whirlwind. He soon came face to face with Flashblade. Flashblade stared into Gist's steel blue eyes wickedly, his black eyes burning into Gist. Gist shuddered and stabbed at Flashblade. Flashblade side stepped and whipped his blade out. He cut deep into Gist's side. Gist groaned and fell. "GIST!!" Nyl called out, seeing Gist struck. Gist felt a burning pain in his side. Fire. Gist's eyes went clouded over. "GIST!" Nyl called out again. Her eyes teamed up with tears. She held them back best she could. Flashblade grinned maliciously. Nyl went over to Rasquer and Cloudy. "Gist has fallen... We should go warn Salamandastron.... retreat." Rasquer cringed at the word retreat. He was one who didn't want to have to look up to anybeast. He couldn't run away. It was all honor. Once you started you must end the job. It looked hopeless. They had to retreat. Nyl looked pleadingly at Rasquer. "I say, 'tis not use wasting our bally lives. We couldn't possibly win with only four.. three!" Rasquer closed his eyes. "Fine. We'll go warn the bally Badger." Cloudy jumped off the rock. "A retreat it 'tis then, wot, wot!" Rasquer, Nyl, and Cloudy took off.  
  
Flashblade kicked at the hare on the ground. The hare groaned. Flashblade looked down at the hare and then at his fire sword. "Drat." The fire on his sword had become smaller. Drenched with Gist's blood. Flashblade's silver coated claws held onto the fire sword tightly. He pointed the sword down at Gist's throat. "Make one move an' I'll gut ye!" Gist groaned again and opened his eyes. He let out a hoarse whisper "Does this bally well count as move'en'n?" Flashblade snarled. "Don't get smart wi' me, rabbit!" Gist twitched his whiskers 'h'I'm not a bloom'n rabbit, you scum!" Flashblade pushed the sword against Gist's throat harder. Gist sighed and just laid there. What else could he do? Flashblade issued orders quickly, "Scratchfang! Over here! Tie this RABBIT up! Keep an eye on 'im." Flashblade looked over at the troop that Biggtooth had gathered. They were kinda battered up from the attack by the hares. "Over here Biggtooth! You, go follow those hares!" Biggtooth nodded. "Yessir!" Biggtooth saluted again. He turned around and shouted to his troop. "Up on yore feet! You 'eard wot the leader sayed! After those hares!" The resting vermin scuttled around and Biggtooth the rat was soon in front of all them, "Get after those 'ares!!! Foller me! Stop sit'n thar like toads with an arrow betwixt yore eyes! If'n ye don't 'urry you will 'ave an arrow betwixt yore eyes!!!" That got the troop moving. They scurried after Biggtooth.   
  
Rasquer gasp for breath while running. Nyl spoke up "I bally well thought ye 'ould out run us!" Rasquer mumbled "Mah speciality isn't galloping... 'Tis fighting." Nyl nodded knowingly, "Jolly much okay." Cloudy hopped in behind Nyl and Rasquer. "I think those vermin chaps are catch'n up! Thar's so many of them, wot!" Nyl looked behind "By th' bally stripes!" Rasquer jumped over a fallen log. Cloudy looked ahead and saw the log. "Fallen log alert, wot!" Nyl looked, but tripped and fell flat on her whiskers. "Go on! I kin catch up. Wot!" Cloudy halted and twirled around. "I'm not leave'n with out ye!" Rasquer turned around as well. He helped Cloudy haul Nyl up. Nyl tried to stand up by herself, but fell back into Cloudy and Rasquer's paws. Cloudy looked down. "I think th' gel's broken 'er bally ankle!"   
  
A weasel caught up with Biggtooth. "The rabbits are just 'head! Look! One o' 'em 'as fallen!" Biggtooth rolled his eyes as he ran. "I kin see that you idiot!"  
  
Rasquer saw the vermin only a few paces away. Biggtooth got behind the weasel. Rasquer jumped over the log and pointed his sabre in the weasel and Biggtooth's way. Rasquer charged. Biggtooth pushed the weasel in front of him, Rasquer slayed the weasel instantly, but it bought Biggtooth enough time to lunge at Rasquer. Rasquer struggled and kicked. He finally got Biggtooth off. He heard the rest of the horde coming. Rasquer jumped back over the log and spoke to Cloudy and Nyl. "We need t' get to Salamandastron quickly or we'll surely die!" Nyl nodded from her position on the ground. "You leave me here, wot! You'll be able t' get me later or at least ye won't both be killed!" Cloudy bit his lip. Rasquer made a split second decision. "Okay, m'gel… We'll come back f' you, no mistake!!" Rasquer yelled to Nyl as they ran. "Give'm a few slashes from us, wot!" Nyl grinned as she pulled herself up, fending off as many vermin as she could at once. Rasquer and Cloudy dashed off towards Salamandastron.  
  
Biggtooth grabbed a passing stoat. "Go back quickly and tell Flashblade two of th' 'ares got away and we got one... Tell 'im that We've sent half our troop to th' mountain to try an' get those hares an' th' rest scouted the surrounding woods! Go!" The stoat nodded dumbly and dashed away to the camp.  
  
Extracts from the writings of Miriah, Recorder of Redwall Abbey in Mossflower country.   
  
'Tis a wonderful day in the Autumn of Quick Winds. The sun is shining, the Sparras are helping pick berries with the Dibbuns, and there is a nice gentle breeze. It makes you think there never was a storm two days ago! We are having our name-day feast a little late this season. Abbot Afned declared it Autumn of the Quick Winds when we were starting the feast during the storm, but one of our Abbey bells cracked while the storm waged. It startled the dibbuns and we decided it would be best to wait 'til the bell was fixed until we had the feast. I can't wait! The bells were fixed today! Yum. Many, many seasons have passed since the days of Abbess Song or Abbess Tansy. We have a Redwall warrior, just to keep the tradition. In my lifetime there hasn't been any fighting, thank goodness. The Abbey Warrior, Matthew, is a brave mouse. He is so very kind, too. I should hope there is no need for him to raise Martin's sword to anybeast. By the fur! I'm beginning to become like all those recorders of old! Toiling away in this gatehouse! I think I shall be moving myself ouside. I guess the seasons are catching up with me. Well, fates and fortunes be with whoever is reading this. Off to the feast I am.   
  
Miriah wrapped up her writings and set them on the shelf. She smiled and went outside. It was a marvelous day. She laughed and walked over to Abbot Afned in the orchard. "Fine day, is it not?" The Abbot smiled back at Miriah. "Yes, 'tis." Matthew, the Redwall Champion, walked up beside Abbot Afned and Miriah. "So are ye going to the feast, eh?" The Abbot nodded. "Of course, warrior."   
  
Flashblade sat on a rock in his tent. His army had set camp for the night, waiting for Biggtooth's troope. Flashblade's sword now had no flames coming from it. He growled. There was a little fire burning with a cauldron of fat and oils from many animals sitting in front of him. Flashblade dipped his sword in the cauldron and then pulled it out quickly. It had a thin coat of grease and oil on it. Flashblade then whooshed his sword through the fire. He repeated that a few times. While he was in the process of soaking his sword in oil for the third time a stoat rushed in. "Sah, Biggtoothsays 'e sent'alf th'troopes t' patrolth' woods two o' th' 'aresgotaway, but wecaught 'un. Th' other'alf o' th' troopes folleredthose two'ares, sah!" The stoat stopped immediately. He stuttered in awe. "So.. that's.. how.. you.. make.. yore.. fire.. swor..." Before the stoat could finish his sentence he had a hole through his stomach and was laying on the ground. Flashblade had run him through in a trice. "Never really liked stoats..." Flashblade muttered to himself. He stuck his fire sword, which was now completely extinguished, in the dirt and dragged the stoat's corpse out the back side of the tent. Nobeast would suspect he did it. He'd say the hares did it, the perfect alibi. He ambled back into his tent. Flashblade picked up his sword again and dipped it in the oil and grease and fat. He passed the sword through the fire and it burst up in flames. He didn't have the patience this time to continue the process. He thought it clever of himself to come up with this "fire sword". This made enemies draw back in fear and it made his army obey him. Yes, he was the fire sword bearer. King of all Mossflower soon. In his nice little mountain, commanding vermin and goodbeast to do his will. Vermin serving and goodbeasts slaving. That was the life for him. He threw back the flap on his tent and grinned maliciously at all his followers. "Tomorrow!" He announced, "We will travel to the fire mountain quickly and quietly, setting up camp! We will lay siege on the fire mountain in two moons! That is all! I have spoken!"   
  
Biggtooth tied Nyl up and ordered two foxes to carry her back to Flashblade. They grabbed the kicking hare and started clumsily off. Biggtooth then stood up straight and tall, "Lissen up! Horehound, you pick seven beasts and you, Darkane, take seven. Darkane, you go after those hares. Horehound, you scout around. I'll go scout around with Horehound." Biggtooth didn't like the idea of him having to go after the hares. He'd rather play it safe.   
  
Flashblade toyed with what to call his mountain. He'd rename it once it was taken over. Now what to call it? Flashblade rolled the hilt of his sword from paw to paw. He heard paws coming towards his tent. He then heard a voice of a fox. It was a rasping whisper, "Flashblade, ssssir, we 'ave a hare…" Flashblade marched out and took a look at Nyl. He then grinned. "Good thing you didn't kill 'er. Otherwise yore 'ides would be hanging my tent. I want to have some.. fun with those 'ares."   
  
Nyl found herself tied up beside Gist. They were both tied to a pole in the middle of the horde. Nyl's ankle hurt badly. She nudged Gist. "'Ello, wot? 'Ow 're y', ole sport?" Gist smiled wryly. "Not th' bally best o' days, but I'm fare'n pretty well." Nyl worked at her bonds. They were made of coarse rope. "'Ey, Gist, could y' untie me paws?" Gist bit his tongue and worked at her bonds "I'm get'n... there..."   
  
A little dibbun giggle with his playmate in the Redwall Abbey. The feast was just beginning. He was teaching the other dibbun how to act, and she was learning really quickly. Miriah picked them both up. "What are you little rascals up to today?" They just giggled. The male mouse dibbun answered. "Mesa were jus' teach'n 'er 'ows t' act! Me daddy teachy m' 'ow ter an' now mesa teachy 'er!" Miriah smiled softly at them. "Are you forgetting about the feast?" The two mice shook their heads. "Us comey!"  
  
Rasquer ducked and dodged. He called over to Cloudy, who was running right beside him. "How about you go on to Redwall. These beasts are bound to find it soon. Since they couldn't catch up to you easily, they won't be able to follow you to Redwall Abbey. At least when they follow me to Salamandastron, the fire mountain has seasoned troopes!" Cloudy looked at Rasquer for a second. "But what if they catch you?" "Don't worry, I won't let 'em 'ave me wi'out a fight!" Cloudy grinned. "If yeh say so, Gen'ral!"   



End file.
